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Method for reinforcing a fibre composite component and a vacuum mat and arrangement for producing a reinforced fibre composite component

a technology of fibre composite components and vacuum mats, which is applied in the direction of applications, manufacturing tools, chemistry apparatuses and processes, etc., can solve the problems of time-consuming, component weight increase, and the wrapping process of components

Inactive Publication Date: 2012-03-20
AIRBUS OPERATIONS GMBH
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

Significantly reduces manual labor, enhances positioning accuracy, and minimizes the risk of component rejection by enabling reproducible and efficient application of reinforcing elements, allowing for reusable vacuum mats and reduced material requirements.

Problems solved by technology

The wrapping process of a component is carried out completely by hand which, particularly in the case of reinforcing elements, for example the above-mentioned stringers, is very time consuming, because the vacuum film has to be guided over these reinforcing elements while precisely following the contour thereof in order to prevent distortion of the component.
Due to the manual process management, the reproducibility suffers from considerable unreliability, such that for example for positioning reinforcing elements on a fibre composite component, great tolerances are required which can lead to an increase in weight of the component.
Faulty vacuum superstructures can ultimately result in rejection of the component.
Furthermore, in this manufacturing technology, wet stringers, i.e. uncured stringers have to be milled off after curing to their respective specified size.
After curing, a considerable manual effort is required in order to remove the single-use film and the sealing tape.

Method used

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  • Method for reinforcing a fibre composite component and a vacuum mat and arrangement for producing a reinforced fibre composite component
  • Method for reinforcing a fibre composite component and a vacuum mat and arrangement for producing a reinforced fibre composite component
  • Method for reinforcing a fibre composite component and a vacuum mat and arrangement for producing a reinforced fibre composite component

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first embodiment

[0035]FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a mould portion 2 of a fibre composite component portion 3 of a fibre composite component 1 (see FIG. 3) with a vacuum mat 5 according to the invention with a receiving portion 6.

[0036]The fibre composite component portion 3 is arranged here on a base plate 24 of a production arrangement (see FIG. 9), which is described in more detail further below, and is provided for reinforcing by a reinforcing element 4, in this case a T-stringer by a vacuum infusion process in the illustrated mould portion 2.

[0037]For this purpose, the reinforcing element 4 was previously introduced in a different location into a recess 10, compatible with the reinforcing element 4, of the receiving portion 6 of the vacuum mat 5 and is completely enclosed by said recess 10. In this case, the vacuum mat 5 is produced from silicone. In the receiving portion 6, the silicone material as a receiving body 9 surrounds the reinforcing element 4. Before the fibre compo...

second embodiment

[0041]Only one reinforcing element 4 is shown in FIG. 1 and is described, but a plurality of reinforcing elements 4 can be required for reinforcing a fibre composite component 1, as FIG. 3 shows in a perspective plan view of an exemplary fibre composite component 1 with mould portions 2 with the vacuum mat 5 according to the invention.

[0042]In FIG. 3, six reinforcing elements 4 are arranged on the fibre composite component portion 3 of the fibre composite component 1 and are covered by the vacuum mat 5 which, in this case, has a recess 10 for each reinforcing element 4. Furthermore, in this second embodiment, the vacuum mat 5 is fitted with closable air supply means 23, through which air or gas is blown in between the vacuum mat 5 and the fibre composite component portion 3 when the vacuum mat 5 is removed from the mould in order to facilitate the removal from the mould. In this respect, the incisions, show in FIG. 2, are widened by the air which is blown in and thus allow the recei...

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Abstract

In a method for reinforcing a fiber composite component for aviation and space flight, a vacuum mat is configured with at least one receiving portion for reproducibly receiving at least one reinforcing element. The at least one reinforcing element is introduced into the at least one receiving portion of the vacuum mat. The vacuum mat with at least one introduced reinforcing element is applied reproducibly in a sealed manner to the fiber composite component to be reinforced to form a mold portion and at least the formed mold portion is cured to connect the at least one reinforcing element to the fiber composite component. The vacuum mat is then removed from the reinforced fiber composite component so that the vacuum mat can be reused.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application is a continuation of PCT / EP2008 / 065699 filed Nov. 17, 2008 and claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61 / 008,401, filed Dec. 20, 2007 and German Patent Application No. 10 2007 061 431.6, filed Dec. 20, 2007, the entire disclosures of which are herein incorporated by reference.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention relates to a method for reinforcing a fibre composite component, in particular for aviation and space flight, and to a vacuum mat and an arrangement for producing a reinforced fibre composite component of this type.[0003]Although the present invention and the problem on which it is based can be applied to any fibre composite components, in the following they will be described in detail in respect of planar, stringer-reinforced carbon fibre plastics material (CFRP) components (also called fibre composite components), for example skin shells of an aircraft.[0004]It is generally known to ...

Claims

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Application Information

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Patent Type & Authority Patents(United States)
IPC IPC(8): B29C65/00B29C43/10B29C35/00B29C45/00B29C39/00B29C47/00B29C49/00B29C47/76B32B37/00B28B21/36B28B1/26B28B21/08A23P1/00B29B11/06A01J21/00A01J25/12H05B7/00B29C48/76
CPCB29C33/405B29C33/46B29C70/443B29C70/54B29K2063/00B29K2707/04B29D99/0014
Inventor LUEBBERING, CHRISTIANLENGSFELD, HAUKEBRANDENBURG, ROLAND
Owner AIRBUS OPERATIONS GMBH